An Eclectic Journal of Opinion, History, Poetry and General Bloviating

Sunday, April 29, 2012

The Rev. Sean Dennison Unanimously Tapped for McHenry UU Pulpit

In the end, it wasn’t
even close. It was more even than a blow
out. The Unitarian Universalist Congregation now in McHenry, Illinois, unanimously voted to call the Rev. Sean Dennison as its new settled minister. 123 of the 165 members cast ballots, all in
the affirmative.

Rev. Dennison was born
and raised in Iowa and became active
as a Unitarian Universalist lay person the UU
Fellowship of Ames before deciding to enter seminary at Star-King School for Ministry in California.
At the same time the single mother had to come to grips with gender
identity and in a sometimes wrenching process he described in a sermon The
Integrity of the In-Between, transitioned to a male over the course of
his educational training.

As a transgender man he was called to serve the
South Valley Unitarian Universalist
Society in Salt Lake City,
Utah. He successfully led the
congregation for seven years in a very conservative state not only helping the
congregation to grow and thrive, but to become a social justice beacon.

For the last year Rev. Dennison
has served as interim minister at the Unitarian
Universalist Fellowship of San Louis Obispo in California.

He has been an important
leader in Unitarian Universalist denominational
affair serving as President of the Mountain Desert District UU Minter’s
Association, a member of the Star King Board
of Trustees, and a co-founder a Board member for Transgender Religious Professional UUs Together (TRUUsT). He has also been a facilitator for UU
diversity programs, is a sought out speaker at a District and UUA General Assembly meetings. He will be a member of the Accountability Team at the upcoming Justice General Assembly in Phoenix this June.

Rev. Dennison is a well
known presence on the web with his highly regarded personal blog Ministare.

In the small world of
Unitarian Universalism Rev. Parker was rightly described as a “rock star.”

The move capped a two
and a half year search process which began with the retirement of the long time
minister of the congregation in Woodstock,
the Rev. Daniel Larson. The congregation used the time for in-depth
self assessment and to tighten governance, administrative, and committee
function with the guidance of three interim
ministers, the Rev. James Hobart,
the Rev. Karen McFarland, and
currently serving Rev. Jennifer Slade.

In the middle of the
self-assessment process the Congregation also voted to accept a generous offer
for the donation of the former Haystacks
Manor restaurant building in the city of McHenry as its new home.

The Search Committee began a serious search
this year. In the end they unanimously
decided to recommend Rev. Dennison for consideration.

Rev. Dennison and his
partner Toni expect to be moved to
McHenry County in July and begin
preaching with the new Church Year
in September.